Closer
by Apple Pie
Summary: Things get a little steamy when Irvine finally realizes he doesn't need to use words to tell Selphie how he feels.


"Closer"  
by Apple Pie

Suggested listening: "Eyes On Me" (Piano Collections)

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Smiling, Selphie fell back slowly from the crowd of guests as they watched the newly married couple drive off. One of Garden's long-time instructors had remarried to a local Balamb shopkeeper, and Cid had extended exclusive invitations to the gang for the special night. 

Too bad the evening was coming to an end, Selphie thought momentarily. A little forlornly, she gazed at the glittering decorations set in the grassy perfection just outside Balamb. A large, lit fountain sprinkled water in pretty patterns as tiny floating candles bobbed on the surface away from the spray.

Beside it was the enormous white gazebo which had housed the wedding party, adorned with what seemed like miles of hanging lights and fields worth of roses, orchids, and lilies. From far away, Selphie had thought it looked more like a misplaced carousel. Beautiful, none the less.

"See ya, Selphie!" came Rinoa's voice. She turned, smiling as she caught sight of her friend waving to her.

"Good night!" Selphie called back and watched as Rinoa climbed into the Garden rental car with Squall, Quistis, and Zell. All around her, other guests and family members were doing the same. Selphie sighed quietly. Back to life. Speaking of which, where was _her_ ride back to Garden?

Grabbing a handful of her long, white dress, she turned and trudged back up the hill to the gazebo in search of a certain cowboy. When she reached the deserted party house, she had a smile ready for the lone figure leaning against the pole in the middle of the polished wooden dance floor.

"Ready to go? Party's over," she said, hand on hip.

Instead of answering, Irvine lifted his head from its pensive droop and gazed at her from beneath the brim of his hat. "Tell me something, Selphie," he said, thinking. "… Could you really spend the rest of your life with someone?"

The petite lass was momentarily caught off guard. _Yes, I could_, she thought, gazing at him. But she was hardly going to tell him that. Smiling a little, she shot him a skeptical look. "What, Irvine? Weddings go a little too deep for you?"

He placed a hand on his heart. "Only when I start to enjoy them," he returned smoothly, nodding courteously to her.

Selphie broke eye contact and laughed once, absently played with her hands. Her pulse always kicked up a notch when he looked at her with that mischievous smile. As her eyes came to focus on her right wrist, she gasped slightly.

"My bracelet," she said worriedly, running a hand over her bare skin. She was relieved to find that her gold bangle had stayed around her left wrist, but her favorite charm bracelet was nowhere to be seen. She looked up. "Irvine, have you seen my bracelet?"

"Yeah, it's chillin' over on 42nd Street at the pub," came his frustratingly casual voice. Selphie glared.

"I'm serious," she said, walking back over to the table where they had eaten. Irvine watched her with a half smile on his face. Without any hesitation, Selphie dropped to her knees and peered around the floor. "I have to find it or I'll never sleep—"

All at once, the lights in the gazebo flickered before going out entirely. Irvine, arms crossed, looked at them with amusement.

"Oh, great," Selphie grumbled into the darkness. Silver beams of light fanned out across the gleaming floor, but she could hardly conduct a thorough search for one tiny gold bracelet with moonlight as her only light source. "Now I'll never find it," she sighed, looking defeated. "That was my favorite bracelet."

"Mine too."

Blinking, she turned her head at Irvine's strangely low voice. Still leaning casually against the pole, his black tuxedo matching the now darkened setting, he dangled a small, sparkling piece of jewelry from his fingers. Selphie stood slowly, straightening from her crouch. She should have known.

"Irvine," she shook her head, a beautiful smile replacing her worried features. Irvine found himself staring as a warm sensation crept over his still form. He was reluctant to let anyone know how much the wedding had truly affected him. Always before tonight, he could wish the bride and groom a happy life together without any desire to follow their example. Yet the world seemed different tonight. Selphie, his date only because they had lost paper-rock-scissors out of the first rental car, had always been important to him, but the right words had never gotten past his heart. Seeing the wedding had put him in a strange, roguishly daring mood—one that went beyond his usual teasing.

Irvine observed the delicate bracelet in his hand. He realized suddenly that words weren't the way to tell her. Looking back to her smiling face, he jingled the chain as the charms bounced against each other with quiet chinks. "Mine too," he repeated, smirking.

"You're too much, Irvine," Selphie said, holding out her hands. "Here, throw it."

He shook his head once. "Come and get it," he challenged softly, never taking his eyes from her.

Selphie hesitated, not recognizing the unnerving lilt in his voice. She could handle smiles, jokes, and random charms, but this? He seemed restrained, somehow, as if he had the naughtiest plans formulating in his head and all he needed was her close proximity to carry them out. After shivering slightly, Selphie shook the thought. She was hardly in danger of anything.

"You never grow up, do you?" she teased, resorting back to familiar ground. More confidently than she felt, she walked across the dance floor to him and stopped a few feet away. Hand out, she raised an eyebrow. "Can I have it now?"

"Nope," he answered promptly, smiling that unfamiliar half smile once again. "Closer," he said quietly.

Determined not to let him see her reduced to a hopeless puddle, Selphie took one more step. "Happy now?" she questioned, trying to keep her voice light and her knees from buckling.

Irvine shook his head. "Closer," he repeated, grinning.

"Irvine!" Selphie said in mock seriousness. If she extended her arm only half of its full capacity, she could touch him. How much closer did he want her?

"Closer," he said again, answering her silent question.

Pouting, Selphie crossed her arms over her middle and turned away, giving him her profile. Irvine smiled. So his Selphie still had a little strategy to her game. He was far from immune. Unable to resist, he smiled, finally a smile that Selphie recognized, and opened his palm to her.

Untrustingly, Selphie looked at her bracelet from the corner of her eye. Then Irvine watched her emerald irises lift to him. After a long moment of observation, she found no trace of teasing in his expression and unfolded her arms slowly. What had gotten into him tonight? In an attempt to appear casual, she swiftly snatched her bracelet from his hand.

"Thank you," she replied pertly, turning on one heel.

With startling speed, her small wrist was suddenly imprisoned in his large hand. Selphie gasped slightly as Irvine caught her, turning her to face him once again. If she had recognized him before, she certainly didn't now. The playful smile and twinkling eyes were completely gone, and his ruggedly handsome features were devastatingly serious as he pierced her with his brown eyes. To Selphie, they had never looked darker.

She drew a shaky breath, suddenly very aware of his towering height and greater strength. But it wasn't a fearful awareness.

The warmth of his hand seeped into her skin as his hold tightened and he pulled her gently toward him. "… Closer…"

She realized with a certain irony that her bracelet was in her hand now, but he still had _her_ in his hand. Trembling with unease, she involuntarily stepped closer to him at his tender, almost hypnotizing insistence.

"Closer," he said again, so low he was almost whispering. Her captured hand touched his chest, and she found herself looking up into his eyes. The night breeze rose slightly, sending a chill down her spine. Seemingly in slow motion, she watched as Irvine lowered his head.

My god, he's going to kiss me, she thought stupidly in the last instant before his mouth landed on hers with torturing softness. She exhaled softly, heart thundering in her chest with increasing force. Slowly, Irvine slanted his mouth over hers, drinking in the delicious feel of her lips against his. How many years had he wanted to do this?

He deepened the kiss, his heart swelling when she surrendered a little more. He folded her hand in his, easing her tense fingers. Selphie's head spun, and she felt drugged, yet startlingly aware. A small sound escaped her as Irvine kissed her again and again with agonizing sweetness, her senses becoming completely unaware of anything but his warmth…

The bracelet slipped. Before she could realize it was no longer in her hand, it landed on the floor with a quiet chink. It was a small sound, but it echoed in her ears like a sonic boom. Gasping, Selphie broke away from him, resisting the urge to lift a hand to her mouth. Irvine gazed at her, an almost pained expression on his face. Breathing heavily, his love turned away, needing to distance herself. She took a few steps and tried unsuccessfully to quell the shaking desire in the pit of her stomach.

What am I doing? Irvine thought, fighting the urge to swing his best friend back around and kiss her until the fierce burning in him stopped. But he hadn't even given her an explanation; he'd simply pulled until she yielded, and yield she had. He felt apologetic suddenly, not for what had happened, but for not considering her reaction.

Guided by angel or demon, he stepped up behind her, not missing the shallow breaths she took to calm herself. Slowly, he locked his arms around her waist and buried his face in her neck.

"Selphie…" he murmured against her warm skin, his perception dizzying. All hope of distance scattered as Selphie went limp against him, closing her eyes and leaning back into his embrace with a broken sigh. Her throat closed completely when his lips danced along the spaghetti strap of her dress, slowly inching the flimsy piece of cloth off her shoulder.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to do this," he said softly, his mouth a brand on her neck. Stunned, Selphie opened her eyes.

"What?" she managed to whisper.

Irvine breathed in her unperfumed scent. "… Tell me to stop," he said miserably, trying to clear his muddled senses.

With some effort, Selphie twisted out of his grasp, instantly missing the warmth. She replaced the strap of her dress and faced him, breathing hard. "… Stop…" she whispered finally, gazing at him.

Irvine obeyed, sensing the serious turn of the event. "… I know I should have told you a long time ago, but…" he swallowed. "All of the sudden, I didn't want to use words."

Selphie glanced away, embarrassed, and resisted the temptation to pinch herself. Only in her wildest dreams was Irvine ever the first one to tell her how he felt.

"I don't know how long I've felt this way about you, Sel," he went on, never breaking gaze. "I lost track."

The brunette shrank a little and smiled weakly. "You're stealing all my lines," she blurted and mentally kicked herself. This wasn't the way she had always planned this conversation, dammit!

Shock flashed on Irvine's face, momentarily dispelling the suave, resistance-futile presence. Selphie waited, watching him closely. The air hung thick between them. Thick and warm. Almost sweltering. She could hardly stand it.

"…Say something before I start to think you actually said that," Irvine said finally, cutting the heavy silence.

This was madness, that's what it was! Suddenly full of life, Selphie broke into a smile and threw her arms around him, burying her face in his neck. "I DID say it, you big oaf!" she choked out, fisting the collar of his jacket in her hand.

Not about to contradict her twice, Irvine wrapped his arms around her and stroked her back. It felt good to hold her. Hell, she felt good period. They stayed together for a long time, saying nothing and yet everything at the same time. Eventually, their surroundings began to register again—the sound of running water, the cool breath of the wind…

Slowly, Selphie pulled back, though her grasp around his neck loosened only a fraction. She stared into his eyes for a long moment. "We should be getting back," she said quietly.

Irvine nodded, but made no move to leave. If anything, his arms tightened, his large hands running slowly along the curve of her back. Selphie shivered a little, and an amusing thought came to her. Smiling, she stood on tip toe to whisper against his lips, "But I need my bracelet first."

Spreading into a slow grin, Irvine released her before turning and retrieving the small object from the floor. He held it out to her, and, unthinkingly, she reached for it.

Irvine pulled it just out of her reach. "Closer…" he smiled slyly.

Realizing she was in full control of her actions this time, Selphie smirked and placed her hand in his, feeling the precious metal fold under her palm. Half on her own and half at his gentle tug, she found herself in his arms again, drinking in the feel of his mouth. It was wrong for him to be this good a kisser, just _wrong_.

After a brief eternity, she broke the kiss, almost panting. "Close enough?" she asked, barely a breath behind the words.

"Never," Irvine rasped, and she laughed, squirming a little.

"We really need to go," Selphie glanced vaguely over her shoulder. "They're going to ask what took us so long."

Irvine chuckled, squeezing her shoulders gently before releasing her. "All right, Sister Selphie."

With the bracelet that started it all in her sole possession, Selphie turned, slipping it on as she walked back toward the entrance. She glanced over her shoulder when she felt Irvine's guiding hand come to rest on the small of her back.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked.

Irvine nodded. Together, they walked down the dirt path. "Mm hmm."

"I'm hyperactive."

"I'm patient," he said easily.

"I'm little."

"Makes you easier to hold."

They reached the bottom of the hill.

"I can't cook."

"I like takeout."

"I steal the covers."

He stopped in his tracks. Selphie looked up at him innocently, acting as if she hadn't said anything even remotely significant. Irvine curved his arm around her waist.

"I'll steal you."

Selphie smiled, seemingly satisfied, but then she glanced at their rental car. "I like to drive."

Smirking, Irvine pulled the key out of his pocket and dangled it away from her. "Closer."

Laughing, Selphie lunged for the piece of metal.

_

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A/N: I confess: read "Simply Irresistible" by Crysty and see how horribly I sponged the last part from her. I confess again: this scene is almost straight out of a movie, only with a different ending.

I'm not a particularly steamy writer, but I want to dedicate this to all the people who read Something Happens In My Heart and were disappointed that the gazebo scene in _that_ story (chapter 23-ish) didn't get steamy enough.

Yeah, this makes no sense, starts in the middle, and ends just when things could get really interesting but isn't that the fun of a one-shot? LOL.


End file.
